Bali is a wildly popular tourist destination, but to help mitigate its popularity and raise some cash for its ‘environment and culture’, the island implemented a one-time entry fee last year, which can be paid electronically upon arrival.
However, it’s not stopping there. To protect the ‘cultural integrity and sacred sites of Bali’, authorities have announced interesting new guidelines for tourists.
The new guidelines say tourists ‘should observe and honour Balinese customs, traditions, and cultural practices, especially during ceremonies’ and ‘dress appropriately when visiting temples, tourist attractions, or public spaces’.
Tourists also aren’t permitted to ‘enter sacred temple areas unless they are worshippers wearing traditional Balinese attire’ and adds that ‘menstruating women are also prohibited from entering these areas’, according to euronews.
Recommended: This underrated country has been named the world’s best adventure destination for 2025.
In regards to the latter, VisitBali says that prohibiting menstruating women from entering temples is because ‘menstrual blood is considered ‘dirty’, so that it can make the temple become impure’, an attitude that lots of visitors to the island might not be aware of.
‘We issued a similar regulation before, but as things change, we need to adapt. This ensures that Bali’s tourism remains respectful, sustainable, and in harmony with our local values,’ said governor I Wayan Koster, ‘I am implementing this circular as an immediate measure to regulate foreign tourists while they are in Bali.’
Swearing, causing disturbances and being rude to locals or officials are all also banned, as are single-use plastics such as bags, styrofoam, plastic straws and bottles.
To enforce all these new rules, the island is launching a taskforce to monitor visitors, and those caught breaking them could face fines or even time in jail.
Cover up, buttercup
Rules on what tourists should and shouldn’t wear have also cropped up across Europe. Albuferia in Portugal, as well as in Malaga and the Baleriacs have all announced fines for visitors who are dressed inappropriately anywhere that isn’t the beach.
Did you see that these are the world’s greatest places, according to TIME?
Plus: These are officially the world’s best airports for food.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.